Optimization and production of renewable fuels from waste cooking oil and low-density polyethylene: Evaluating fuel properties and techno-economic feasibility of diesel replacement

Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Sasidhar, K.B.;Somasundaram, Murugavelh;Yesuraj, K.;Hariharan, S.;Antunes, Elsa;Ekambaram, Porpatham;Kumar Arumugam, Senthil
Abstract

Pyrolysis of waste cooking oil (WCO) and plastics have caught the eye of contemporary researchers and industrialists, as valuable fuels can be produced from these wastes. However, process parameters such as feedstock blend ratio and temperature have to be optimized to obtain high-energy fuels at low-energy supply. Hence, this study aims to provide an insight into the optimization and techno-economic feasibility for the production of diesel-equivalent fuel from WCO and LDPE. A full-factorial design of experiments was delineated between six temperatures and seven feedstock blend ratios to compare oil yields. An optimum bio-oil yield of 65% was observed at 500 °C and 2:1 (WCO:LDPE) blend-ratio. Further, pyrolyzed WCO and equal blends of WCO and LDPE were tested for fuel properties, and these confirmed to Grade No. 2 and Grade No. 4 diesel–fuel as per ASTM standards respectively. A techno-economic analysis indicated a payback period of <14 months for both the fuels.

Journal

Energy Conversion and Management

Publication Name

N/A

Volume

294

ISBN/ISSN

1879-2227

Edition

N/A

Issue

N/A

Pages Count

17

Location

N/A

Publisher

Elsevier

Publisher Url

N/A

Publisher Location

N/A

Publish Date

N/A

Url

N/A

Date

N/A

EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1016/j.enconman.2023.117558